I’m super pumped to spend the next two seasons salad-ing my face off! Though I often opt to serve salads as a side dish, I’ve been known to down a big bowl all on it’s own for lunch. This is usually followed by a pat on the back and a mental note that I just saved myself enough calories for a much needed glass of wine at dinner or something hopelessly covered in chocolate. Usually both. I’m nothing if not predictable ?

With this salad the post-veggie-faceplant reward is almost completely unnecessary because it’s SO GOOD!

Flavor packed and deliciously crunchy, this chopped broccoli salad is a great way to break out of a salad rut. Toss the leafy greens aside and chop these hearty veggies into a bowl full of yum, complete with a finger-licking avocado dressing that is sure to become a new staple in your kitchen. Flavor-wise it reminds me a lot of a macaroni salad, without the pesky carbs.

As an added bonus, this gorgeous green dressing keeps up to 4 days in the fridge and actually *STAYS* green when you seal it up nice and tight.

Cue avocado-shaped confetti!

Chopped Cauliflower Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

This sassy salad is perfect for all your Spring and Summer parties, potlucks, barbecues and picnics! Pair it with your favorite protein or enjoy all on it’s own for a veggie-packed lunch that’s healthy and delicious!

Thanks to the dreamy, creamy dressing the veggies step up the plate and channel their inner macaroni salad. Seriously! It’s like broccoli and macaroni salad hybrid with all of the flavor and none of the starchy pasta. I didn’t originally set out to accomplish this but MAN I love the results!

Chopped Cauliflower Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

This sassy salad is party perfect and fit for a crowd! Making it on a smaller scale? See blog post below for a halved recipe that serves 2-4.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Prep Time15minutes

Total Time15minutes

Servings8servings

Calories240kcal

AuthorJenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD:

1.5cupschopped broccoli

2cupschopped cauliflower

1cupcooked corn(fresh, canned, or steamed from frozen)

15ozcanned chickpeasdrained + rinsed

1/2bell pepper, chopped

1/3cupchopped red onionor to taste

2TBSPchopped green onion

garnish with fresh parsley for an optional topping

FOR THE DRESSING:

1.5ripe avocado*

1/2cupquality mayo

1TBSPlemon juice(extra to taste)

1clovegarlic, minced

1/2tspWorcestershire Sauce

1/4tspsea salt

1/8tspblack pepper

Instructions

Wash and chop your veggies and toss 'em all together!

For the corn, steam or sauté if using fresh or frozen. If using canned, simply drain and rise. I opted for frozen corn + lightly steamed.

Next toss all your dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. Feel free to add any extra salt/pepper/spices to taste. A blender or immersion blender may also be used with great results!

Toss your veggies in about 1/4 of the dressing adding extra as desired. You may want a little, or a lot! The dressing keeps marvelously refridgerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

* save the remaining avocado to top on your salad or save it for a snack! I face planted into mine with a sprinkle of sea salt and a spoon.

Making it for later? You totally can! I like to keep my chopped veggies and avocado dressing in separate containers in the fridge and combine before serving.

Leftovers? I didn't know how they'd hold up once mixed the following day but I loved the leftovers here! Since the veggies soaked up the dressing partially, I just added a bit more before diving back in. Easy peasy!

See post below for special diets and swaps, including a tasty vegan version of the dressing!

Nutrition Facts

Chopped Cauliflower Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 240Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 5mg2%

Sodium 330mg14%

Potassium 460mg13%

Total Carbohydrates 18g6%

Dietary Fiber 6g24%

Sugars 2g

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A9.5%

Vitamin C53.4%

Calcium3.9%

Iron6.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Facts above are an estimate gathered using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed.

special diets and swaps

This Chopped Cauliflower Broccoli Salad is crazy versatile and can be tweaked to fit your lifestyle!

To make it vegan, use your favorite variety of vegan mayo and use THIS vegan avocado dill dressing <– so good!

As written, this salad is gluten-free and dairy-free!

Make this salad paleo + Whole30 friendly by skipping the chickpeas and corn. Extra broccoli and cauliflower can be added in their place if you’d like.

small batch salad measurements for 2-4 people:

FOR THE SALAD:

3/4 cup chopped broccoli

3/4 cup chopped cauliflower

1/2 cup corn (cooked fresh, canned, or steamed from frozen)

1/2 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained + rinsed

1/4 bell pepper (any color!) chopped

2-3 TBSP chopped red onion

1 TBSP chopped green onion

garnish with fresh parsley, optional

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 ripe avocado*

1/4 cup quality mayo

1/2 TBSP lemon juice, extra to taste

1 small/medium clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

small pinch sea salt + black pepper, to taste

If you get a chance to try this tasty Cauliflower Broccoli Salad, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

Taryn

Cyn

It’s a great concept and I’m glad so many others have enjoyed your salad. Regrettably, it was a huge disappointment in my house. It was a lot of work for such a sad outcome. It was very bland and it didn’t look anything like the photo, and I followed the recipe exactly.

So sorry to hear you found it bland Cyn, as we enjoy this one quite often and love the flavor from the red onion, corn, and garlic! Some readers desire a bit of extra salt and pepper with their salad/dressing and I totally support seasoning to taste since we all have a different preference there! xo

Caren

Jennifer

Delish!!! I used Greek yogurt to save a few calories, you’d never know it. I also added chopped up rotisserie chicken to make a heartier meal – was tasty like that but next time I think I’ll try hard boiled eggs instead. Super good summer food!

I love salad weather. This salad looks so delicious. Almost anything with an avocado dressing is a favorite with me so this looks even better than you can imagine. I’m going to see whether my kids will eat this too. Sometimes they’re good about salads and sometimes they’re really fussy. I’m going to make it the night ahead for lunch (using your idea about keeping them separate). I’m a big fan of having lunch prepped because otherwise I end up grabbing the worst food when I’m busy. Thanks for sharing such a delicious looking salad.

AnaB.

Hi Ana! It will totally work! The dressing may be a wee bit tart/tangy depending on which kind you use so just go for a good quality yogurt that you love! 2% or whole Greek will be creamier than non-fat, for instance.

Steven

kristen

Yesssss! Made this last night as a side with dinner and it was the hit of the night! All 3 little ones had two helpings of it and wanted more! Such a fresh, crunchy, yummy bowl of deliciousness. I can’t wait to eat some for lunch today. Will definitely be making again…and again….and again! Thanks!

Consider me your guide to all things veggie! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little
help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.

What's For Dinner?

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